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Michigan Bill Wants To Allow Private Purchase Of Self-Driving Cars

Michigan wants to be ahead of everyone else in the game of autonomous cars, so its legislators just developed a bill to allow the sale of self-driving cars to the public. It still has to be approved.
Google self-driving car prototype 1 photo
Photo: Google
We are writing about a massive milestone in the field of cars that can drive themselves, as most governments only allow testing of these vehicles on public roads.

The proposed expansion of a bill that previously permitted corporations to road test cars with autonomous technology will eventually lead to the first customer of a production self-driving vehicle.

Unfortunately for Michigan residents that are dreaming of buying a car that can drive itself, no fully autonomous vehicles are currently available for purchase.

However, this new bill will allow cars to travel public roads without anyone at the wheel, including “platoons” of commercial trucks that would operate themselves. The new proposals will be considered by a Senate panel this summer, so you will still have to wait some time until they pass, if this happens on the first attempt.

Not everyone is thrilled with autonomous cars, as some groups believe the tech has not matured to a level high enough for public consumption.

As Yahoo reports from Associated Press, the move will cement the reputation of Michigan in the automotive industry, as the Detroit’s Big Three are all interested in cars that drive themselves. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, one of the main automakers started in Detroit, recently signed a deal with Google to develop self-driving vehicles together.

On the upcoming blend of technology between Silicon Valley and Motor City that will lead to cars that can drive without an operator, Michigan’s Department of Transportation Director Kirk Steudle stated that “it is coming. It is coming fast.” He believes that autonomous car technology has “reached a point where it will be incorporated into something that is mass-produced.

Google, one of the tech giants that has invested heavily in the field of autonomous cars, says it wants to sell them by the end of 2019, if development shows they are ready for deployment. Tesla Motors, one of the most youngest brands to challenge the premium car market, also has advanced self-driving technology available, but its models are not allowed to drive themselves. Drivers are required to keep one hand on the wheel at all times, for safety reasons.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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